When I returned home, the first thing I had to do was pour over the Gunpla scene and determine what it is I got myself into. The news was almost entirely good. Most modern model kits do not need to be painted, nor do they need to be secured using glue or modeling cement. The only thing stopping them from being build-able “out of the box” is the fact that you still need a handful of tools to put them together correctly.
The other good news is that, contrary to my fears, the Gunpla scene is a healthy mix of casual hobbyists and hardcore builders. This is a big deal for me; the internet communities surrounding most hobbies are made up entirely of enthusiasts, and enthusiasts lack the perspective needed to help beginners. They’ll recommend setups which require significant investments in time and money, without any regard to the fact that a newbie is probably looking to get their feet wet with something small and simple, to see if they’re really interested before they lay down any serious cash.
This is not the case with Gunpla. There are still super fans with potentially damaging advice for newbies (for a good example, look up Danny Choo’s posts related to the topic), but I found far more guides and tutorials warning rookies not to jump into the deep end. Some of their aggregate suggestions include:
- Don’t start off with a Master Grade or Perfect Grade kit (but if you do, it probably won’t kill you).
- Don’t buy every single tool someone recommends. Buy a few basics, and try to rely on things you have lying around the house to fill in the gaps. Become familiar with these simple tools before moving on up to something better. To give a more concrete example, a newbie can get away with using nail clippers and a nail file to snip out and clean up pieces, and once they get a feel for it, they can choose to upgrade to a sprue cutter and sandpaper. No one I found (aside from Choo, the moron) insisted that you run out and get yourself a spray gun and air compressor for painting.
- You need to take your time. Not many people in the community seem to be impressed by speed. It is better to go slow and wind up with a great looking piece.
- Most tutorials pointed out that newbies will mistakes (some writers went so far as to show examples of their early screwups). Their suggestion is to learn from them, and then move on (after trying to salvage your model of course). The overall vibe I got was that no one expects your first kit to be flawless, so don’t worry if it isn’t.
- I found a few forums which looked very supportive. When someone showed off a finished kit, they were quick with pointers and comments, but they were also happy to see folks of beginner or intermediate skill actually finish a build. It felt like these users wanted to help their colleagues get better and become more involved in the hobby, as opposed to erecting a wall of impossible standards that only a dedicated few could climb over. To give an example, I saw a husband and wife team show off their build of a High Grade Gundam AGE model, considered one of the best starter kits available right now. The feedback in the comments section was enthusiastic and positive. It was almost hard to believe.
As for the negatives of the scene, they were fewer, but still present:
- Most Gunpla fans import both kits and equipment from Japan. That means they tend to recommend tools and materials which are specifically made for Gunpla. These include special Gundam Markers meant for filling in panel lining on the kit’s armor, as well as special glues and clear coat paints. There are only two ways to obtain these goods - from an online retailer, or “your local hobby shop”, which for most people is something which only exists in fairy tales. Since most online shops sell the kits and the accessories, you can probably get all this stuff from one place (except for the paints. Those spray cans apparently can’t be brought into the States anymore). Otherwise you’d have to buy them piecemeal. I know it sounds odd, but I don’t like buying small, inexpensive merch off the Internet. It seems like a waste of shipping and handling, and I don’t like the notion of registering for a store solely so I can spend five dollars. I’m sure all these specialized tools are fantastic, but I’ve decided to take my chances with whatever I can acquire at Michael’s or Hobby Lobby.
- On a similar note to the above, even the friendliest guides were against the use of plain, standard stickers on a Gunpla model. Everyone seems to agree that they don’t look very nice when applied. Their recommendation is to use special “water slide” decals (I forget how these work) and rub-on decals, which as expected rubs the details right onto the plastic, like a rub-on tattoo. Some of the best quality kits come with these special decals; for the ones that don’t, you have to go online and see if Bandai (or some other company) sells them for your specific kit as a standalone product. This is one of the only examples I’ve seen in which the community on a whole asks a bit too much from newbies.
Lastly, some thoughts of my own:
- I understand that you are supposed to learn from your mistakes and improve your skills with each kit. But something about this feels counterintuitive. Even the simplest kits aren’t so cheap that I’d buy one to serve as a trash-able practice run, and when your first kit happens to be one of your very favorites (which mine certainly is), you don’t want it to show off all your first time mistakes. The only way I see to remedy this would be to rebuy and rebuild it in the future when I know how to do a better job. That’s my mistake for not starting with something I care less about (the gift shop at Disney had a Real Grade standard Zaku, as well as some other suit from Gundam Seed that is wholly unfamiliar to me).
- What’s more, as cool as I find Gunpla to be, as a married man looking to start a family, I don’t see a lot of display space in visions of my future homes. I’m not sure how many kits it takes, on average, to get really good, but I can’t imagine accommodating any more than half a dozen in my lifetime (unless I feel comfortable enough with myself to continue it as a hobby after retirement, in which case I could go nuts). As a result, I want any kits I buy to be done right.